2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer vs 2024 Toyota 4Runner

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer resembled a smaller version of the Chevrolet Blazer midsize crossover, which was a positive attribute. It balanced SUV toughness without appearing exaggerated, and details like intricate headlight and taillight elements, along with dark chrome trim, gave it a more upscale look than many vehicles in its price range. The Activ and RS models had unique styling elements, with the Activ aiming for a rugged look and the RS adopting a sportier, boy-racer aesthetic. The contrasting roofs in red, black, or white added a distinctive and retro touch, especially with the Nitro Yellow paint on the Activ model.

Inside, the Trailblazer Activ featured a leather-wrapped steering wheel, leatherette upholstery, and a power-adjustable driver’s seat. The mix of copper-toned and sparkly black plastic trim with gray seat inserts added personality to the otherwise black interior. Design touches like grab handles around the center console and the creased look of the dashboard and air vents made the cabin distinctive, even if it didn’t scream “outdoor adventure.”

The 2024 Toyota 4Runner, on the other hand, was a throwback to an earlier era. Last redesigned for the 2010 model year, it retained a boxy shape that was appropriate for an all-terrain vehicle. The flared fenders gave it a brawny and wide stance, enhancing its rugged personality. The TRD Pro model featured underbody skid plates, all-terrain tires, and a beefy tubular roof rack, making it look ready to tackle tough terrains. However, the interior showed its age with old-school styling and last-generation technology features, such as an analog instrument panel and a small eight-inch infotainment touchscreen.

The 4Runner’s interior had quite a bit of hard plastic, but commonly touched surfaces were covered with cushioned panels. The seat upholstery was grained to approximate leather but looked more like vinyl. Despite its outdated look, the 4Runner’s interior was functional, with large climate-control dials and protruding driveline levers that were easy to use even with gloves. The front roof pillars were pushed forward to provide excellent outward visibility, crucial for off-road adventures.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer shared its platform and powertrains with the Buick Encore GX. It came standard with a 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine producing 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. An optional 1.3-liter turbo-three increased output to 155 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque. The 1.2-liter engine was available only with front-wheel drive (FWD), while the 1.3-liter engine could be had with either FWD or all-wheel drive (AWD). FWD models had a continuously variable transmission (CVT), while AWD models had a nine-speed automatic transmission.

Our Trailblazer Activ test car had AWD, the nine-speed automatic, and the 1.3-liter engine. The throttle response was better in the Trailblazer compared to the Buick Encore GX, providing a decent amount of shove and a pleasing exhaust note. However, the nine-speed automatic’s lack of refinement was noticeable with a few rough shifts. The Activ model’s dampers, tuned for better performance on gravel roads, worked fairly well on pavement, although there was some uncomfortable bouncing over certain road imperfections. The Trailblazer had Normal, Sport, and Snow drive modes, but we didn’t notice much difference in Sport mode.

The 2024 Toyota 4Runner was powered by a 4.0-liter V6 engine producing 270 horsepower and 278 lb-ft of torque. While these specs were comparable to the Bronco and Wrangler, the 4Runner was held back by its five-speed automatic transmission. The TRD Pro model came standard with four-wheel drive (4WD) and a two-speed transfer case, while most other trims were rear-wheel drive (RWD) with 4WD available as an option.

On pavement, the 4Runner felt slow, and merging onto highways often required flooring the pedal. The soft suspension tuning, great for off-roading, resulted in noticeable rear-end squat during acceleration and an unsettling amount of nosedive under hard braking. The 4Runner exhibited a lot of body roll when cornering and some residual bounces over ruts and bumps. However, with a cargo space filled with heavy adventure gear, those bounces calmed down. The tall tire sidewalls and soft suspension helped ignore larger road imperfections, but passengers prone to motion sickness might need to take precautions on winding or bumpy roads.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer, despite being one of the smallest SUVs on sale, offered decent utility. It was 3.4 inches wider and about an inch taller than the original 1999 Chevy S-10 Blazer four-door. The Trailblazer’s wheelbase was about three inches longer, benefiting passenger space. It matched the Kia Seltos on front and rear headroom and offered more rear legroom than the Hyundai Kona and Buick Encore GX. The rear seats were comfortable for normal use, but the flat cushions made long road trips in the back row less appealing.

The Trailblazer offered 25.3 cubic feet of cargo space with the second-row seats in place and 54.4 cubic feet with the seats folded. These figures were respectable but behind the Kia Seltos. The Honda HR-V offered slightly less cargo space with the rear seats up but slightly more with the seats folded. The Trailblazer’s cargo capacity was limited for a weekend’s worth of luggage for three people, and it had a towing capacity of only 1,000 pounds. Up front, the designers included a covered storage bin, a deep tray, cupholders, and a phone storage tray, making the most of the limited space.

The 2024 Toyota 4Runner’s interior design looked old but was functional. The layout was easy to decipher, with large climate-control dials and protruding driveline levers that were easy to use even with gloves. Sturdy handles ensured passengers wouldn’t be tossed about during off-road adventures. The front roof pillars were pushed forward, providing excellent outward visibility. There was plenty of space for larger passengers up front, though the steering wheel didn’t telescope far enough for taller drivers. The second-row accommodations provided ample legroom, but headroom was limited for six-footers due to the elevated rear bench height. A third row of seats was available on select trims.

The 4Runner could hold 47.2 cubic feet of cargo behind the rear seats, and up to 89.7 cubic feet with the rear seats stowed. However, there were no remote seat releases in the cargo area, requiring access from the rear doors to tumble the seat cushion forward, flip the headrest down, and drop the seatbacks. Once stowed, the load floor was almost flat, making it easier to live with than the Bronco’s stepped floor. The 4Runner featured a sliding glass rear window, a hitch receiver with a seven-pin harness, and a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds. However, there was no option for a powered or hands-free liftgate.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer came with a standard 7-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, SiriusXM satellite radio, Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity, and a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot. Optional features included an 8-inch touchscreen, a 4.2-inch instrument cluster screen, navigation, a Bose audio system, rear-seat USB ports, and wireless phone charging. Despite these options, the Trailblazer’s tech might not satisfy the most tech-savvy buyers, as the optional touchscreen was still relatively small, and a fully digital instrument cluster wasn’t available.

The 8-inch touchscreen was perfectly sized for the Trailblazer’s dashboard, with large, easy-to-read graphics and logical menus. The combination of a smaller instrument cluster screen and analog gauges effectively conveyed information. Smart touches, like a person-shaped icon for the pedestrian-detection system and an indicator for the engine start/stop system in the tachometer, aided comprehension.

The 2024 Toyota 4Runner’s infotainment system included standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but the small eight-inch touchscreen was challenging to use while driving. The system lacked off-road-specific apps and gauges found in the Bronco or Wrangler. The TRD Pro model came with a 15-speaker JBL premium audio system, but the loud engine and exhaust, combined with road noise, made it difficult to fully appreciate the audio quality.

Additional terrain controls in the headliner console were labeled with pictograms rather than descriptions, requiring a read-through of the owner’s manual to understand the 4Runner’s full potential. One dial controlled the Crawl Control, a low-speed cruise control for off-roading, while another dial controlled the Multi-Terrain Select system. Two buttons activated either a braking differential or a locking rear differential to maximize traction on uneven surfaces.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer came with standard safety features, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and a Teen Driver system. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring with lane-change assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control. The Trailblazer was named a 2022 Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and received a five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The 2024 Toyota 4Runner received mixed safety ratings. The NHTSA awarded it four out of five stars for overall and frontal crash protection, five stars for side impacts, and three stars in rollover evaluations. The IIHS gave it a "Good" rating for moderate frontal overlap and side protection tests but listed "Marginal" and "Poor" results for the small overlap frontal test. The 4Runner came with a full complement of safety features, including adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert. The TRD Pro and Limited trims also had a surround-view camera system, but only the Limited had front and rear parking proximity sensors.